Circular knitting machine



Sept. 29, 1970 v. J. LOMBARDI y3,530,688

v CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 22l 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet l o O f if" b". 56 'a Sept. Z9, 1970 v, J, LOMBARDI 3,530,688

CIRCULAR KNITTING'MACHINE Filed July 22, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet C 6 ////1 JkfM 2CV( f/ figs.

/m/enor: V/c orJ Lombardi Sept 29., 1970 v. J. LOMBARDI I3,530,688

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 5A Filed July 22, 1968 b Vido/*J Lombn/ldj ,y @VW A??? Sept. 29, 1970 Filed July 22, 1968 V. J. LOMBARDI CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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V/'cor J Lombardi by W/Q/ A, MM

Sept 29, 1970 v. J. LOMBARDI 3,530,688

i CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4 Filed July 22,' 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 704 n m4 l F/g.

Sept. 29, 1970 Filed July 22, 1968 V. J. LOMBARDI CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 L .z /nveno/t i MFM /w/ My Sept. 29, 1970 v. J. LOMBARDI CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 sheets-sheet 8 Filed July 22, 1968 l M y www 4/ m nited States Patent OMF 3,530,688 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Victor J. Lombardi, 2715 Charlotte Lane, Burlington, N.C. 27215 Filed July 22, 1968, Ser. No. 746,673 Int. Cl. D04b 9/32 U.S. Cl. 66-135 26 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circular knitting machine having one or more yarn guides swingable from positions at the rear of a row of needles through an arc having a portion lying in front of the row of needles. For operating the yarn guides there are employed means slidable in radial slots and of a Width commensurate with the width of the slots throughout the length of the slidable means. Each slidable means may be in the form of a jack in immediate engagement with a slidable element on which there is formed a rack or may be in the form of such a jack and such a slidable rackcarrying element having a lost motion connection therebetween. The yarn guide and its operating means are protected by the provision of a deflectable cam which comes forwardly to a point and is operated in advance of the yarn guide operating cam and the provison of means to then guide the jack butts in an inoperative course.

`This invention relates to circular knitting machines, and more particularly to machines of the type where there are provided one or more yarn guides each swingable thru an arc having a portion lying in front of series of needles and extending therefrom to the rear of the needles at each side of said portion.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of improved means for operating such yarn guides. In Pat. No. 2,373,126 to Vincent Lombardi there is shown a form of operating means comprising, a radially slidable rack meshing with a pinion on a rotatable yarn guide support and operated by a selectively operable jack which is pivotally secured to a radial extension of the rack and the selective operations of which are controlled by a drum operating on the jack from above the same. There is a need. however. for operating means which are simplier in construction and operation, less space-consumingboth for the accommodation of the operating means and for the completion of an operating cycle along the needle bed-and easier to embody in mechanism having suicient strength to withstand the rigors of continuous use. `Certain forms of construction which have previously been proposed are either less effective or less versatile or are subject to various diliculties. In addition, yarn guides of the type under consideration are subject to accidental displacement by an operator, as is mechanism of the type afbove discussed, and there are also, in mechanisms of the character under consideration, possibilities of undesired mechanical displacement or of incomplete mechanical action which tend to be a source of delays, inelfectiveness, or breakdowns in the machine or its operation.

With the foregoing and other considerations in View, the present invention, in various of its aspects contemplates the provision of cooperative combinations embodying one or more of the features set forth immediately below or disclosed hereinafter. Among these features are the provision of a radially-selected and/or radially slidable operating jack for the rack and pinion; the provision of mens positively assuring against damaging collision of any portion of misplaced slidable means against its operting cam, and more particularly the provision of a cam member displaceable out of the path of a misplaced Patented Sept. 29, 1970 ICCv butt or other jack portion; the provision of stop motion means operated by such a displaceable cam member; the provision of independent jack means; the provision of operating means which will act positively on slidable elements only after their movement past such a displaceable cam member; the provision of means for operating slidable means by jacks in such a manner that there is lost motion between the two; the provision of means for causing repetitive action of selected jack settings; and the provision of various operative arrangements and formations of elements.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic top view of a portion of one form of machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail side view showing the control chain for the selector unit;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. l on an enlarged scale with its lower portion offset to the rear to show a needle in position to receive a main yarn;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a yarn 'guide operating means in detail;

FIG. 5 is a partly-sectional detail top view of the selecting mechanism and a portion of the yarn guide-operating mechanism at a different stage in the operation;

FIG. 6 is a partly-sectional detail top view showing a portion of the selecting mechanism in a forward, operated, position;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a detail perspective View of a displaceable cam;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view along the line 9-9 of FIG. l on an enlarged scale showing the mounting of the displaceable cam;

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a butt-carrying portion or' a jack;

FIG. 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a somewhat diagrammatic top View of a portion of a machine embodying a modied type of yarn guide operating mechanism;

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13 on an enlarged scale, partly broken away;

FIG. 15 is a somewhat diagrammatic top view of a portion of a machine embodying a further modied type of yarn guide operating mechanism;

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view on the line 16--16 of FIG. 15 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic showing of the operation of the mechanism of FIGS. 15-16;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 14 showing another type of yarn guide operating mechanism embodying the invention in certain of its aspects; and

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18 showing still another type of yarn guide operating mechanism.

While the invention in many of its aspects may be embodied in any of a wide variety of types of circular knitting machines, including, among others, stationary cylinder machines, rotary cylinder machines, and cylinder and dial machines, it is particularly exemplified in connection with a machine which, except as indicated below, may be of a character disclosed in said Pat. 2,373,-

126, and which comprises a stationary needle cylinder (FIG. 3) on which a circular row 1.1 of vertical latch needles 12 are mounted for independent vertical movement. The usual sinkers 14 are also provided. Revolving about the center line of the cylinder are selectively-operating needle-manipulating means indicated generally at 16, and sinker-manipulating means indicated generally at 18, both of which may be of any suitable type, and, in the present instance, may be of the character exemplied in said Pat. 2,373,126, and, as in that patent, are carried on rings and 22, respectively, which rotate in unison together on the center line of the cylinder as an axis. Similarly rotating also are one or more main yarn feeds 24 (eight in the present instance) by means of which main yarn 26 may be fed to the entire row of needles or to suitably-selected ones thereof.

Suspended from a dial 307 which in the present instance is stationary like the cylinder, are one or more yarn-guides 32 (twelve in the present instance), each swingable, first in one direction and then in the other, from a position at the rear of the row 11 of needles to a position at the rear of said row of needles thru an arc 33 having a portion lying in front'of a portion of said row of needles, to feed a yarn 34 to a selected needle or selected needles in said portion of the row. As exemplied, there are provided a plurality of yarn-guides 32 the arcs 33 of swinging movement of which overlap, in the present instance, as indicated in FIG. 1.

While the invention is adapted for use in connection with a wide variety of needle operations, it may, for example, be utilized in connection with arrangements wherein each main yarn 26 is knitted on all the needles, wherein every swing of a yarn guide occurs between successive operations on a main yarn, and wherein yarns 34 from the yarn guides are laid in by operations including the selective raising to tucking position, prior to each swing of a yarn guide, of alternate ones (or other spaced ones or pluralities thereof) of a group (of greater or less extent) of those needles which are spanned by the swing of a yarn guide while the remaining ones of the spanned needles remain in a lower position in which they will not receive the yarn 34, followed by the retraction of the needles thus raised. The selection of needles to be raised only to tucking position lmay be effected by an wllknown or suitable means, such for example as selective mechanism of the character shown in said patent and including a plurality of drums 35 corresponding to drums 49 of said patent, jacks 35', and jack raising cams 35". One drum may be provided in advance of each yarn guide swing regardless of which direction the swing may occur. Yarn guides may be selected from time to time, in accordance with the invention, for swinging action first in one direction and then in the other, and selecting actions by successive drums 35 may be coordinated with such swinging actions imparted to a yarn guide. After each swing of a yarn guide the selected needles which have received yarn therefrom in tucking position are retracted to lay in the yarn received from the yarn guide between the knitted main yarn in one row and the knitted main yarn in a succeeding row. As above indicated, however, the invention is applicable to a wide variety of manners of incorporated yarns into a fabric.

Each yarn guide is provided with a support in the form of a tubular member 36 rotatably mounted in the dial 30 and having fixed thereto a pinion 38 supported by the dial 30.

In the form of construction exemplified in FIGS. l-l2, the stationary dial 30 is provided with slots 39 extending along lines disposed radially of the center line of the needle cylinder. Each slot is of uniform width throughout its length and in each is mounted a radially-slidable element 40, formed at a forward end (its inward end in the present instance) with a rack 42 meshing with the pinion 38, and a jack 44, of substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, having a forward (inward) operating end adapted to operate the slidable element 40 in at least one direction by engagement with the rearward (outward) end thereof. In the present instance the slidable elements 40 and the jacks 44 have intertting portions 48 and 50 so that each jack will operate its slidable element in both an inward and an outward direction. The jacks are provided at the ends thereof opposite to the ends which engage the slidable elements (their outward ends in the present instance) with frangible butts 52. extending radially (outward) from said opposite ends thereof at selected ones of four levels, the butts being provided on one, two, three, or four positions on each jack for selective operation of the various butts by means which, in the present instance, revolve about the machine and are also operated selectively.

Above the dial 30 is an annulus 54 which rotates in unison with the rings 20 and 22 and which carries a plurality (four in the present instance-three of which are shown) of units 56 for selectively operating the jacks. As will be seen from FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7, each unit 56 comprises a support plate 58 to the underside of which is rotatably secured a ratchet wheel 60 arranged to be actuated by a pawl 62 pressed inwardly by a spring 63 and carried on a reciprocable member 64 movable in a counter-clockwise direction about a pivot 65 fastened in plate 58 (FIGS. 5-6) to cause the pawl to move the ratchet wheel forward one step and returnable by a spring 66 against a back stop 67 mounted on plate 58. A spring 68 having a bend 69 yieldably tting into successive ones of the notches 72 of the ratchet wheel 60 serves to temporarily retain the ratchet wheel in each advanced position. For this purpose, the member 64 carries a knob 74, into the path of movement of which a cam 76 on a vertically-movable member 78 may be moved whenever a step-by-step selector chain 82 (shown in FIG. 2) having spaced high links thereon for moving the cam 76 into said path by their engagement with a cam surface 84 thereon. Arranged about a drum 85, fixed to the wheel 60, and disposed at all or selected ones of a number of circumferential locations corresponding to the number of teeth on the wheel, and disposed at selected ones of four vertical levels (corresponding to the levels of the butts 52) at such locations, are butts 86. The butts 86 are carried on removable and replaceable inserts 87 held in place by a circular coil spring 88. Also carried by the support 58 and mounted on a vertical pivot 89 are selector cams 90 at such four vertical levels, each drawn outwardly by a spring 92 and arranged to be moved inwardly whenever a butt 86 at its level is moved into an engaging position and to be held in inward position until the pawl 62 again moves the ratchet wheel one step. When a selector cam 90 is moved to its inward position any butt 52 at its level will be engaged by the cam surface 94 on the selector cam 90 and the jack 44 carrying the butt 52 will be moved inwardly an initial distance in its slot y 39 from its waiting position, shown in FIG. 5, to initiate a movement of a corresponding yarn guide 32 in one direction. The completion of the inward movement of the jack is caused by the engagement of cam surfaces 96 and 98 on cams 100 and 102 respectively, carried by the annulus 54, with a butt 104 on the jack, which butt has been initially moved from its position in an outer and inactive or waiting track 105 to a selected position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 by the action of a selector cam 90 on the jack, and is now moved by the cam surfaces 96 and 98 to the operated position shown further inward in dotted lines in FIG. 3. In this manner a yarn guide 32 is swung in one direction. A subsequent outward movement of the jack and a swing of the yarn guide 32 in the opposite direction is caused by engagement of a cam surface 106 on a cam 107 with the butt 104 of the jack. A series of cams 100, 102 and 107 are arranged successively along the annulus 54, each series following a unit 56 with a cam surface 96 ready to engage a butt 104 when it has reached its selected position.

It is to be noted that, as shown in FIG. 4, the jacks 52 are relatively thick and of rugged construction and will thus effectively withstand the various activating operations thereon.

In order to avoid any possibility of damage to the jacks or to the machine, in the event that a jack 44 should for any reason be so positioned, when the cam 100 is approaching it, that its 4butt 104 is in the line of movement of the point of a cam 100, each of the cams 100 is mounted for emergency movement out of its normal poi sition, and the point thereof formed with an inclined leading surface 108 (FIGS. 4, 8 and 10) receding downwardly in the present instance, from the forward edge thereof. In addition, each cam 100 is so shaped that the surface 108 comes to a point at its leading edge. Each cam 100 is therefore mounted ifor movement in a direction having a vertical component (generally upwardly in the present instance) by being set freely in an opening 110 in the cam ring 54 and being secured to one end of an arm 112 pivoted on pin 114 carried by a bracket 116 which is secured to the cam ring 54. Each pivot pin 114 is remote from the cam 100 and is perpendicular to a radius of the machine and tangent to a circle with its center on the center line of the cylinder 10. Each cam 100 is normally pressed downwardly by a spring 118 to a position wherein a shoulder 120 thereon rests against an upper surface of cam ring 54. Behind the cam -0', the cam 102 is formed with a cam surface 122 so that any butt 104 which displaces a cam 100 upwardly will engage the surface 122 to retract its jack to its normally inoperative and safe outward position. In the normal selected position the butt 104 has been moved far enough inward from track 105 to avoid contact with surface 108, so that cam 100 will remain in operative position.

In order to provide further assurance that a butt 104 will either properly engage the cam surface 96 or will lift the cam 100, the upper edge of each butt 104 slopes upwardly at 124, away from the direction of movement of the cams 100, at its upper edge facing toward the moving cams 100 and slopes outwardly and inwardly at 126 and 128 at its lateral edges.

As a further security measure, there is provided an arrangement for operating a stop motion means for the machine whenever a cam 100 is moved in a particular vertical direction. Such a means may be of any well known or suitable type. As exemplified, an electric circuit 130 FIG. 1) is closed by the momentary closing of a switch 132 under the influence of a spring 133 when an electromagnet 134 is de-energized. Under normal operating conditions, the electromagnet 134 is maintained energized, to hold armature switch 132 out of contact with contact point 13S, by current ow from a source of electric current 136 thru a normally-closed circuit 137, but, when the circuit 137 is broken, the spring 133 will move switch 132 to close the circuit 130 to actuate a stop motion device which is indicated by the box 138 and which irnay include an arrangement such as shown in Vossen Pat. 2,287,208. The circuit 137 includes a plurality of stationary sets of contacts 140 and 141, the contact 141 'being normally pressed upwardly by a resilient contact arm 142; and, in order to break the circuit 137 there is provided in connection with each cam 100 a lever 144 (FIG. 9) carrying a lug 146 and centrally pivoted at 148 on a bracket 150 carried by the rotating annulus 54. One set of contacts 140-141 is disposed outwardly of each jack 44, and the levers 144 are radially disposed so that, should the butt 104 of a jack raise a cam 100, the cam will operate the lever to depress the lug 146 against an extension 151 on the arm 142 to move the contact 141 away from the contact 140. This will break the circuit 137 to deenergize the magnet 134 and operate the stopmotion arrangement. The lug 146 is normally held, by means of a spring 152 acting on the lever 144, in a position in which it travels above the rear of the extensions 511; and operation of the lever by a cam 100 when moved upwardly is assured by a downward projection 154 on the inner end of the lever. The extensions 151 are provided with tales 156 (FIG. l2) sloping downwardly in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 1).

In FIGS. 13 and 14 there is shown a form of construction wherein the jacks are moved independently of the yarn-guide operating means during the selecting action of the jacks, By such an operation, the resistance involved in moving the yarn guides and the operating means therefor will in no way affect the jack-selecting operation, and there will be no unnecessary resistance opposing the jack-selecting operation. The construction exemplified in FIGS. 13 and 14 is, except as indicated below, similar to that exemplified in FIGS. l-12, parts which are the same being indicated by the same reference numerals, and certain parts which are modified to some extent being indicated by similar reference numerals with the addition of the subscript.

In the form of construction shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the jacks 44a are independent of the radially-operating elements which operate the yarn guides 32, and are arranged to engage them only after the selecting operations of the jacks have been completed. In the particular form exemplied the jacks are each formed with a forward (inward) vertical abutting sur-face 200 adapted to engage an abutting surface 202 on a member 204 of substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, which forms the rearward (outward) portion of a radially slidable element 206 the inward portion of which is provided, in the present instance, by a member 40, the members 40 and 204 being held to each other by a portion 208 on the member 204 intertting with the portion 48 on the member `40. The dial 30a and the annulus 54a extend outwardly further than the members 30 and 54, the annulus 54a providing a track 105a and cams 100a, 102a and 107a, as in FIG. 1, but further outwardly, and the means for -mounting the cam and the means operated by the cam 100 are also provided in connection with the cam 100a, but further outwardly. Similarly, the units -56 and the operating means therefor, are provided, but further outwardly. The jacks 44a are provided with butts 52 and 104 as in the case of the jacks 44. As will be seen, when the butt 104 of a jack 44a is in the outwardmost track g, the inner surface 200 of the jack 44a is spaced outwardly of the outer surface 202 of the member 204 a distance not less than the extent of inward movement of the jack by a cam 90, so that the inward movement of the element 206 and the swinging movement of its yarn guide will not be initiated until one of the cam surfaces 96 and 98 (in the present instance, the surface 96) engages the butt 104 on the jack. While the cam surface 98 could be continued inwardly to cause the completion of the swing of the yarn guide, there are provided in the present instance, butts 210 extending upwardly from the members 204 and similar to the butts 104, and cams 212 having cam surfaces 214 for engaging the butts 210 of such yarn guide-operating members as have been moved inwardly by their jacks 44a to carry their `butts 210 inwardly from a track 216 into the path of respective cam surfaces 214 by which the respective elements 206 are moved inwardly into operated position to complete the respective swing of their yarn guides in one direction. A subsequent outward movement of each element 206 thus moved inwardly, and a swing of its yarn guide in the opposite direction, is caused by the engagement of its butt 210 by the cam surface 218 of a cam 220 and the return of the butt 210 thereof to the track 216. It is to be noted that, whatever means are provided for the inward movement of the elements 206, the butts 210 and the cam surfaces 218 assure their return movement. Jacks 44a are returned to track 105a by engagement of cam surfaces 106a with butts 104.

It will be seen that, in the construction as exemplified, a selected jack y44a is moved by cam 90 of the selecting unit 56 from its waiting position wherein the butt 104 is in track 105a to a selected position shown in dotted line in FIG. 14, and then it is moved :by the cam surfaces 96 and 98 to an operated position, as shown in dot-anddash lines further to the left of FIG. 14. As the jack moves from selected position to operated position it moves the element 206 inwardly from its waiting position, wherein its butt 210 is in the track 216, to selected position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 14, and the cam surface 214 then moves the element 206 from its selected position to its operated position shown in dotand-dash lines in FIG. 14 wherein the swing of a yarn guide 32 in one direction is completed, the swing of the yarn guide in the opposite direction being completed by the action of the cam surface 218.

In FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, there is shown a form of arrangement whereby the number of jack-selecting units 56 may be reduced, and/or the number of operations of a yarn guide 32 in response to a single selection may be independent of the number of selecting units, by the storing of the selection for the repetition of an operation. Not ony may the number of selecting units such as 56 be reduced, and the number of movable cams such as 100 be similarly reduced, but the number of operations of a yarn guide in a single rotation of a cam annulus such as 54 may be made independent of the number of selecting operations. A construction of this nature, as exemplified, is similar to that exemplified in connection with FIGS. 13 and 14 except as indicated below, parts being indicated by the same reference numerals or by similar reference numerals with the addition o-f the subscript b or the replacement of subscript a by subscript b.

In the form of construction exemplified in FIGS. 15-17, instead of four selecting units 56, there is provided only a single selecting unit 56, and only a single set of cams 10011 and 102b are provided on the annulus 54b. Instead of a cam surface 106a on a cam 107a following cam surfaces 96 and 98, there is provided a cam track 300 which carries the butt 104 on the jack outwardly to a storing track 302 wherein the jack is clear of the returning outward movement of the element 206-and beyond it as exemplified-but wherein the jack is still inward of the position it was in when its butt 104 was in the track 105b. Each previously selected jack is moved inwardly from its stored position by a cam track 304 which causes it to again engage and advance an element 206 to impart to its yarn guide a repetition of the actuation caused by the cam surfaces 96 and 98 ofthe cams 100b and 102b. Other similar tracks 300, 302 and 304 will repeat these functions about the annulus 54b for as many times as it may be desirable and practical to cause repeated sets of swinging movements of a yarn guide by a selected jack in one direction and by cam surfaces 218 in the other direction. A cam surface 106b is provided to return the jacks to track 105b after the last track 304 has operated.

In instances where the advantages of selection of the jacks by means acting on one end thereof may be outweighed iby consideration of lateral compactness of the machine or otherwise, the invention, in certain of its aspects, contemplates the provision of constructions wherein the jacks are selected vertically rather than radially.

In FIG. 18 there is shown a form of construction wherein a radially slidable element 400 in each of a plurality of radial slots 401 in a dial 402, and comprising a portion 403 identical with the member 40 and a portion 404 similar to the member 204, is operated by a jack `410 the outer end of which is movable vertically to rock the jack on its inner lower end as a pivot. Each jack carries a frangible butt 412 at one or more of four locations on its upper surface, for selective engagement by selected ones of a set of elements 414 when the jack is swung to an upper (dot-and-dash) position. The elements 414 correspond to elements 234 in said Pat. 2,373,126 being similarly carried by a rotating annulus 416 and selectively operated as in that patent by a drum 418 corresponding to drum 238 of said patent. The jack 410 and similar jacks about the machine are moved from full-line position to dot-and-dash position, prior to the passage of each set of elements 414, by a cam 420 carried by the annulus 416. When a butt 412 is engaged by an element 414 its jack is returned to unselected (full line) position, but when a jack is not engaged by an element 414 it is Selected for inward advance by engagement therewith by a cam 422 carried by annulus 416 to advance element 400 from the waiting position shown in full lines, to the selected position wherein the butt 424 on member 404 is engaged by cam 426 to further advance the slidable element 400 to operative position wherein the yarn guides have been swung in one direction. A succeeding cam track (not shown) will restore each selected element 400 and jack 410 to full line positions to swing the yarn guides in the opposite direction as in the preceding showings. A plurality of sets of elements 414 and of corresponding drums 418 may be employed to provide operations similar, for example, to that of the construction of FIGS. 1-12.

In FIG. 19 there is shown an arrangement wherein a member 500 replaces each member 404 of FIG. 18. The member 500 extends further outwardly from its butt 502 than the member 404 does from its butt 424, terminating in an outer edge 504 which is engaged by the inner edge of a jack 506 which is rockably mounted at 508 at a central point. A rotating annulus 510 similar to the annulus 416 is provided. At the top of its inner end portion the jack S06 carries a frangible butt 512 at one or more of four locations for selective engagement by selected ones of one or more sets of elements 514 (like the elements 414) when the jack is swung to the position shown by dot-and-dash lines. The elements 514 are carried by the annulus 510 and selectively operated by a drum 516 corresponding to drum 418 and similarly operated. Each jack 506 is rocked to raise its inner end, prior to the passage of each set of elements 514, by a cam 518 carried by the annulus l510 to lower the outer end of the jack into the path of a cam 520 which is carried by the annulus 510 and which selects the jack unless an element 514 has rocked it to raise its outer end out of the path of cam 520. The general operation will be clear in the light of the various foregoing disclosures, it being appreciated that each butt S02 of a selected element S00 is cam operated in the same manner as butts 424.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine comprising a vertical needle cylinder, a row of needles thereon, needle manipulating means, and a plurality of yarn guides swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, the combination of a rotatably-mounted yarn-guide support for each yarn guide, and means to selectively impart at least partial rotative movement to said supports and comprising slidable means mounted for sliding movement along lines generally radial of the center line of said needle cylinder and operatively associated with each yarnguide support and having an operable end, a slidable jack for each slidable means and slidable along such radial lines and having an operating end for operating its slidable means and an opposite end carrying radially-extending butt means in at least certain of a plurality of vertical positions, and means revolving with respect to said cylinder on the center line thereof and arranged to contact such radially extending butt means in certain positions and not to contact such butt means in other positions and to selectively advance the contacted butt means and their jacks with them and to advance said slidable means to operate said yarn-guide supports and their yarn guides with them pursuant to the selective advancing of said jacks, and revolving cam means for retracting the advanced elements.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contacting and advancing means comprises mechanism for partially advancing the selected jacks, and cam means for further advancing the selected jacks, at least the initial portion of the last-mentioned cam means being in the form of a cam member having a jack-advancing cam surface and being movable generally vertically and having a point formed with an additional cam surface sloping with a vertical component toward the end of said point so that any portion of a jack approached by said cam member while such portion is in a position in line with said point will move said cam member generally vertically out of the path of said jack.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein there is provided a stop-motion means for said machine, and means for activating said stop-motion means when said cam member is moved vertically out of operative position.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein each jack is connected to its slidable means.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein each jack is independent of its slidable means, wherein a jack movement initiates the advancing of the slidable means, and wherein the first-mentioned revolving means comprises means to complete the advancement of said slidable means independently of said jacks.

6. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mountedfor relative rotation on a central axis, a row of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said -row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, a dial forming a unit with said cylinder in said relative rotation, a yarn-guide support carried by said dial for rotation on its own axis, a slot in said dial radial to said central axis and having a uniform width throughout its effective length, a jack slidably disposed in said pinion and rack slot, means operative in response to advancing movements of said jack for imparting rotary movement to said yarn-guide support, said jack having throughout its length a substantially uniform thickness which is substantially commensurate with the thickness of said slot, and means forming part of said operating means for selectively engaging said jack and for advancing said jack in accordance with said selective engagement and for operating said imparting means in response to the selective advance of said jack, and means for restoring the selectively-operated elements, and operating butt on said jack, and means cooperative with said but to advance said jack, at least part of the last said means being vertically movable into an inoperative position by the butt of an improperly positioned jack.

7. A circular knitting machine as in claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of said yarn guides and a plurality of said slots `and jacks.

'8. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mounted for relative rotation on a central axis, a row of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, a dial forming a unit with said cylinder in said relative rotation, a yarn-guide support carried by said dial for rotation on its own axis, a slot in said dial radial to said central axis, a jack slidably disposed in said slot, means operative in response to advancing movements of said jack for imparting rotary movement to said yarnguide support, a butt on said jack, means forming part of said operating means for selectively engaging the butt on said jack and for partially advancing said jack in accordance with said selective engagement, and cam means forming a part of said operating means for further advancing the selected jacks, the initial portion of said cam means being in the form of a cam member having a jack-advancing cam surface and being movable in a direction generally parallel to said central axis and having a forward point formed with an additional cam surface sloping in said direction toward the end of said point so that any portion of said jack approached by said cam member while in a position in line with said point will move said cam member generally in said direction out of the path of said jack, said jack-advancing cam surface being forwardly and outwardly of the remainder of the jack-advancing means, cam means thereafter for conducting a misplaced butt to a position in which it will not be operated to move said jack, means for restoring the selectively operated elements, a stop motion means for said machine, and means for activating said stop-motion means when said cam member is moved generally in said direction out of the path of said jack.

9. A knitting machine as set vforth in claim 8 wherein said cam member acts on a butt on said jack, and there is provided a jack retracting cam surface associated with said cam means for engaging said butt of a misplaced jack member and conducting said misplaced member to a safe inoperative position.

10. A circular Lknitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mounted for relative rotation on a central axis, a row of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, a dial forming a unit with said cylinder in said relative rotation, a yarn-guide support carried by said dial for rotation on its own axis, a slot in said dial radial to said central axis, a jack slidably disposed in said slot, means operative in response to advancing movements of said jack for imparting rotary movement to said yarn-guide support, a butt on said jack, means forming part .of said operating means for selectively engaging the butt on said jack and for partially advancing said jack in accordance with said selective engagement, and cam means forming a part of said operating means for further advancing the selected jacks, at least the initial portion of said cam means being in the form of a cam member having a jackadvancing cam surface and being movable in a direction generally parallel to said central axis and having a forward point formed with yan additional cam surface sloping in said direction toward the end of said point so that any portion of said jack approached by said cam member while in a position in line with said point will move said cam member generally in said direction out of the path of said j ack, and means for restoring the selectively operated elements wherein there is provided a stop-motion means for said machine, and means for activating said stop-motion means when said cam member is moved generally in said direction.

11. A knitting machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein said movable cam member is provided with yieldable means opposing such movement of said movable cam member in said general direction.

12. A knitting machine as set forth in claim 8 wherein said movable cam member is pivotally mounted on a line remote from said point generally perpendicular to a radius of the machine and generally tangent to a circle which has its center on said central axis.

13. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, Ia row of needles thereon, a plurality of yarn guides each swingable on its own axis in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row on each side of said portion, means to swing said each yarn guide comprising an element slidable radially of the center line of said cylinder and an independently movable jack in line with said element behind the same and initially spaced therefrom, means for selectively advancing said jacks sufficiently to engage and initiate an aclvance of its slidable element, and cam means to complete the advance of each slidable element so initially advanced in order to operate said yarn guide.

14. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a row of needles thereon, a plurality of yarn guides each swingable on its own axis in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row on each side of said portion, means to swing said each yarn guide comprising an element slidable radially of the center line of said cylinder and a jack in line with said element behind the same, means for selectively advancing said jacks sufficiently to initiate an advance of its slidable element, and cam means to complete the advance of each slidable element so initially advanced in order to operate said yarn guide wherein means are provided for retracting said jacks to a fully retracted position and wherein said selective advancing means is operative on said jacks in said position, and wherein means are provided for retracting said slidable elements to a position spaced forwardly of said jacks a distance less than the initiating advancing movement thereof.

15. A knitting machine as in claim 14 wherein there are provided, for operation prior to the operation of said means for retracting said jacks and said means for retracting said slidable elements, cam means for partially retracting the selectively advanced jacks to a position in which they will retain their selection, means for retracting said slidable elements, ycam means for again advancing said selectively advanced jacks to again initiate the advance of their slidable elements and cam means to complete the advance of each slidable element so advanced.

16. A knitting machine as in claim 15 wherein there are provided a plurality of successively-operating series of means each comprising said means for partially retracting the selectively advanced jacks, said means for retracting said slidable elements, said means for again advancing said selectively advanced jacks, and said means to complete the advance of each slidable element so advanced.

17. A knitting machine as in claim 16 wherein said selectively advancing means is in the form of a single mechanism which revolves about the axis of said cylinder, and comprising a single pattern drum.

18. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mounted for relative rotation on a vertical axis, a row of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, a dial forming a unit with said cylinder in said relative rotation, a yarn-guide support carried by said dial for rotation on its own axis, a slot in the top of said dial radial to said central axis, a jack in said slot, means operative in response to adv-ancing movements of said jack for imparting rotary movement to said yarn-guide support, means for selectively imparting a partial advancing -movement to said jack, a butt on said jack extending above said slot, and a cam means forming part of said operating means for engaging said butt when said jack has had a partial advancing movement imparted thereto for further advancing said jack, the initial portion of said cam means being in the form of an upwardlymovable cam member having a jack advancing cam surface and having a forward point and formed with an additional cam surface sloping downwardly and rearwardly from the end 0f said point, at least a portion of the upper surface of said butt sloping downwardly toward and to the side from which said cam member approaches it, and said cam means being formed immediately to the rear of said cam member with diverging cam surfaces one of which is effective when said cam member is operative, and each of which is operative when said cam member is inoperative if said butt is in line with the surface in question.

19. A knitting machine as set forth in claim 18 wherein said side of said butt is formed with receding portions sloping to the edges thereof.

20. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mounted for relative rotation on a vertical axis, a row of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, a dial forming la unit with said cylinder in said relative position, a yarn-guide support carried by said dial for rotation on its own axis, a slot in the top of said dial radial to said central axis, a jack in said slot, means operative in response to advancing movements of said jack for imparting rotary movement to said yarn-guide support, means for selectively imparting a partial advancing movement to said jack, a butt on said jack extending above said slot, and cam means forming part of said operating means for engaging said butt when said jack has had a partial advancing movement imparted thereto for further advancing said jack, the initial portion of said cam means being in the form of an upwardly-movable cam member having a jack advancing cam surface and a point whose path is crossed by said butt prior to the engagement of said cam surface with said butt during said partially advancing movement, said point being formed with a vertically sloping surface engageable by said butt to move said cam member upwardly in the event that the jack has not completed said partial advancement at the time said point crosses its path, the jack advancing cam surface on said cam member being of minor effective extent when compared with that of said 4cam means as a whole, and said cam means being formed with surfaces diverging from a vertical line rearwardly of the jack advancing cam surface on said ca-m member, a stop motion means for said machine, and means for activating said stop-motion means when said cam member is moved upwardly out of operative position.

21. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, operating means, said cylinder and said operating means being mounted for relative rotation on a central axis, a series of needles on said cylinder, a yarn guide swingable in at least a partial rotation in opposite directions thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said needles and extending therefrom to the rear of said needles at each side of said portion, a dial forming a unit with said cylinder in said relative rotation, a slidable element carried by said dial for advancing and retracting sliding movements from and to a retracted position, means to impart swinging movements to said yarn guide in response to said movements of said slidable element, and a jack carried by said dial in line with said slidable element and retractible to a position spaced from the retracted position of said slidable element, said operating means comprising means for selectively advancing said jack to a position wherein it will not advance said slidable element, cam means operative on the jack when thus selectively advanced to further advance the jack to cause it to engage and advance said slidable element, cam means to retract said jack, and cam means to retract said slidable element.

22. A knitting machine as in claim 21 wherein said cam means for further advancing the jack comprises a terminal portion for advancing said jack to a position wherein it engages s-aid slidable element and partially advances the slidable element with it and comprises an initial portion in the form of a cam member having a jack advancing cam surface and movable generally in a direction of said central axis and having a point formed with an additional cam surface sloping in said direction to the end of said point to a level clear of said jack so that any portion of said jack approached by said cam member while such portion is in a position in line with said point will move said cam member generally'vin said direction out of the path of said jack, and wherein there is provided cam means for further advancing said slidable element, the last-mentioned means being operative prior to the operation of the last-mentioned retracting means.

23. In a circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a row of needles thereon, needle manipulating means, and a plurality of yarn guides swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, the combination of a rotatably-mounted yarn-guide support for each yarn guide, and means to selectively impart at least partial rotative movement to said supports and comprising slidable means mounted for sliding movement in a direction generally radial of the center line of said needle cylinder and operatively associated with each yarn-guide support, a slidable jack for each slidable means and similarly radially slidable and aligned radially endwise of its slidable means and arranged to advance its slidable means during at least a portion of the advancing movement of the jack, means for selectively advancing said jacks, cam means for further advancing the selectively advanced jacks, the initial portion of said cam -means being in the form of a cam member having a jack-advancing cam surface and being movable in a direction generally parallel to said center line and having a forward point formed with an additional cam surface sloping in said direction toward the end of said point so that any portion of said jack approached by said cam member while in line with said point Will move said cam member generally in said direction out of the path of said jack, and means for restoring said selected elements, means to displace a lmisplaced jack portion even when said additional cam surface is not in place a stop motion .means for said machine, and means for activating said stop motion means when said cam member is moved generally in said direction out of the path of said jack.

24. A knitting machine as set forth in claim 23 wherein said selective advancing means is operative radially on said jacks to select them and to move them unidirectionally radially.

25. A knitting machine as set forth in claim 23 wherein said selective advancing means comprises means for selectively displacing at least a portion of said jacks laterally and means for imparting advancing movement to the selectively displaced jacks.

26. In a circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a row of needles thereon, needle manipulating means, and a plurality of yarn guides swingable in at least a partial rotation thru an arc having a portion lying in front of said row and extending therefrom to the rear of said row at each side of said portion, the combination of a rotatably-mounted yarn-guide support for each yarn guide, and means to selectively impart at least partial rotative movement to said supports and comprising slidable .means mounted for sliding movement in a direction generally radial of the center line of said needle cylinder and operatively associated with each yarn-guide support, a slidable jack for each slidable means and similarly radially slidable and aligned radially endwise of its slidable means and arranged to advance its slidable means during at least a portion of the advancing movement of the jack, means for selectively advancing said jacks, cam means for further advancing the selectively advanced jacks, at least the initial portion of said cam means being in the form of a cam member having a jack-advancing cam surface and being movable in a direction generally parallel to said center line and having a forward point formed with an additional cam surface sloping in said direction toward the end of said point so that any portion of said jack approached by said cam member while in line with said point will move said cam mem-ber generally in said direction out of the path of said jack, and means for restoring said selected elements, wherein said selective advancing means comprises means for laterally displacing all of said jacks, means for selectively laterally restoring selected ones of said jacks, and means for radially advancing the unrestored ones of said jacks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,105,735 8/1914 Wildman et al. 66-57 XR 2,126,646 8/1936 Lawson et al. 66-57 2,231,673 2/ 1941 Lombardi 66-135 XR 2,292,941 8/1942 Holmes 66-135 XR 2,373,126 4/1945 Lombardi 66-135 2,386,314 10/1945 Holmes et al 66-l35 XR 2,808,712 10/1957 Morris 66-201 XR 3,457,736 7/1969 Mishcon 66-57 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 669,280 12/ 1938 Germany.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 66-57, 123, 157

gyg@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,530,688 Dated September 29, 1970 Inventor-(s) Victor J. Lombardi It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

|- Column l, line 68 "mens should read means- "l Column 3, line 45 "vnl-known should. read --well known-- Column 5, last line "511" should reed -l5l Column 6, line 3 "tales" should read -tails Column 6, line 18 after' "subscript" insert "a" Column 7, line 2 |line"" Should read lines Column 7, line 2l "ony" should read only-- Column 9, lines I3 and MI "pinion and rack slot,means Should read Eloi-pinion and rack means-- in claim 6 Column 9, line 5LP "and" should read --an Column 9, line 55 "but should read butt-- SIBNED AND QEALED ECSHm (SEAL) mmm; Jr. Ummm E. sam, JR. Officer @omissione affamata 

